This blog is a resource for students, faculty, alumni and friends of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (alums of both the past MA program and current MFA Program welcome). MFA Faculty/Staff: Pinckney Benedict, Rodney Jones (professor emeritus), Judy Jordan, Allison Joseph, Beth Lordan (professor emerita), & Jon Tribble.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I am pleased to announce that my poem "Blackrock Diving Tower" was accepted for publication in Visions, a magazine interested in the environment and sustainable development, centered out of my undergraduate Alma mater, Elon University.

Demetrice Anntía Worley holds a D.A. (Doctorate of Arts) in English from Illinois State University and an M.A. in English from University of Illinois, Urbana. Currently, is an associate professor of English at Bradley University where she teaches creative writing, exposition, technical writing, business communication, African American literature, and writing theory courses to first year through graduate-level students.

Her debut poetry collection is Tongues in My Mouth (Main Street Rag March 2011). In addition, she is the co-editor of Language and Image in the Reading-Writing Classroom (LEA 2002) and African American Literature 2nd edition (McGraw-Hill 1998); and co-compiler of Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle and Other Modern Verse, 2nd edition (ScottsForesman 1995). Her Poetry appears in anthologies such as Women. Period. (Spinster Ink 2008), Risk, Courage and Women (North Texas U P 2007) an American Library Association 2008 Top 25 Anthology, and in 44 on 44 (forthcoming March 29, 2011). Her poetry has appeared literary journals such as Reverie, Permafrost, Clackamas Literary Review, and Spoon River Poetry Review.

Another NEWS FLASH: The Roxana Ceremony is still in the Mississippi Room. Tomorrow's poetry reading with Demetrice Worley, poet and professor of African American Studies from Bradley University, has been moved to the Kaskaskia Room. Sorry for any confusion! Sara and the award winners will be reading in the Mississippi Room this afternoon (3/24) at 4pm.

This year, Special Collections Research Center at Morris Library, is proud to present Other People's Letters: The Teeter Family Papers, an evening of family revelation, marriage, children, daily life, and unfortunate loss and struggle seen through the letters of this Carbondale family. Saturday, April 9th 4:00-6:30 in the Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. Free and open to the public.

Horace Hollister Teeter arrived in Southern Illinois in 1865 where he married Nancy Belle and had six children while establishing himself as an entrepreneur and businessman in Carbondale. His accomplishments include the development and marketing of an innovative coffee percolator, production of baking powder, and a production and sale of his own brand of furniture polish. Around 1900 he founded the Excelsior Paint Company which he managed until his death in 1924.

Horace and Nancy Teeter had six children, all raised in Carbondale. This reading will showcase correspondence between siblings Kate, Robert and Lillian Teeter, as well as their nephew Louis Teeter and his wife and son. Members of the staff and the community will take on the roles of the Teeters and will read their way through this collection adding voice to this family's history.

The Teeters provide an authentic view of family life in Carbondale and southern Illinois from the end of the 19th century to Lillian's death in 1977. The April 9th reading will illustrate this family history as well as bringing insight into the love, intimacy, and humor expressed in this now almost forgotten art of letter writing

Sponsored by the Creative Writing Program and the Women's Studies Program

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Judge Sara Burge, SIUC MFA alumna, poet and instructor at Missouri State University, has chosen to honor the following poets and their poems:

Undergraduate Winners:

First place: Jonathan Veach for "A Death in Baton Rouge"

Second place: Jeffrey Haynes for "Holy Scripture"

Third place:Rheanna Pulley for "Abraham visits Moriah"

Graduate Winners:

First place:Ruth Awad for "Kata Doksa"

Second place: Jonathan Travelstead for "Mitch's Motorcycle Salvage and Rebuild"

Third place:Mark Jay Brewin, Jr. for "Mother('s)"

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Travelstead for"From a Café in Paris"

Please join us on Thursday, March 24 2011 at 4 pm in the SIUC Student Center Mississippi Roomfor an awards ceremony featuring a reading from our judge, Sara Burge, author of Apocalypse Ranch (C&R Press). The winners will also read their award-winning poems.There will be a booksigning and reception in the after the ceremony.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Alberta Skaggs, current SIUC lecturer in fiction, Grassroots advisor and MFA fiction grad has this news:

Dr. stephen dollinger (the director of the psychology department here at siuc) and I have co-authored an article that has been accepted for publication this fall inthe journal called Imagination, Cognition and Personality.

The article's name: Does the ACT Predict "Inside the Box" Thinking or Creativity?: Creative Characters in the Personality Imagination Exercise.

Join SIUC's Creative Writing and Women's Studies Programs as we honor the memory of a wonderful poet and celebrate Women's History Month.

The Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest honors the memory of Roxana Rivera (1977-2003), who was a first-year creative writing graduate student from Lynwood, California. Roxana, a graduate of California State University Long Beach, earned her Bachelor's degree in Women's Studies and English. While at SIUC, Roxana was a PROMPT Scholar and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of English.

To remember this special woman and poet, a campus-wide poetry contest will be held, with divisions for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Gift certificates will be awarded as prizes in both divisions:

$50 for first place $30 for second place $20 for third place

This contest is open to all students currently enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Students of all majors are encouraged to participate in this contest.

2) Poem(s) on individual sheets (one poem only per page). No identifying information on the poems themselves, please. There is no entry fee, but there is a limit of three poems per entrant. If sending entries via e-mail, please send in rtf file format only—send all poems in one file.

The contest theme is provided to spark your creativity, and entries that reflect upon the theme in the lives of women are particularly welcome.

Entry packets should be submitted to Prof. Allison Joseph, English Dept., Faner Hall 2380, Mail Code 4503. Entries may be sent via campus mail or dropped off at the English Department office (Faner Hall 2380) during regular campus office hours.

Entries can also by e-mailed to

roxpoetrycontest(at)gmail.com

(replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail).

Winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held March 24, 2011.

Join SIUC’s Creative Writing and Women’s Studies Programs as we honor the memory of a wonderful poet and celebrate Women’s History Month.

The Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest honors the memory of Roxana Rivera (1977-2003), who was a first-year creative writing graduate student from Lynwood, California. Roxana, a graduate of California State University Long Beach, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and English. While at SIUC, Roxana was a PROMPT Scholar and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of English.

To remember this special woman and poet, a campus-wide poetry contest will be held, with divisions for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Gift certificates will be awarded as prizes in both divisions:

$50 for first place $30 for second place $20 for third place

This contest is open to all students currently enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Students of all majors are encouraged to participate in this contest.

2) Poem(s) on individual sheets (one poem only per page). No identifying information on the poems themselves, please. There is no entry fee, but there is a limit of three poems per entrant. If sending entries via e-mail, please send in rtf file format only—send all poems in one file.

The contest theme is provided to spark your creativity, and entries that reflect upon the theme in the lives of women are particularly welcome.

Entry packets should be submitted to Prof. Allison Joseph, English Dept., Faner Hall 2380, Mail Code 4503. Entries may be sent via campus mail or dropped off at the English Department office (Faner Hall 2380) during regular campus office hours.Entries can also by e-mailed to roxpoetrycontest(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail).

Winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held March 24, 2011.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

My story "The Angel's Trumpet" has just won Appalachian Heritage's 2010 Denny C. Plattner Award for Outstanding Fiction. This is my second Plattner: my first was for the story "Joe Messinger is Dreaming" in 2007. Both stories are included in my new collection, Miracle Boy and Other Stories.